Midlands-based land and property company Sheldon Bosley Knight has acquired north Warwickshire estate agent Hawkins for an undisclosed fee.

As well as the residential sales part of the business, the deal will add 450 managed properties to SBK’s rental portfolio which will be run from the two existing Hawkins’ offices in Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Sheldon Bosley Knight will also retain the 18-strong team at Hawkins as part of the deal.

The purchase establishes a base in north Warwickshire for SBK which now has 11 offices and more than 100 in-house staff across Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

Sheldon Bosley Knight director and co-owner, Mike Cleary, said: “We are delighted to acquire such a well-established company and we feel it is exactly the right fit for our business.

“Despite the challenges of the past two years, Sheldon Bosley Knight has continued to push the boundaries and drive our business forward. This is a very exciting start to the new year for us and our aim is to grow the business further.

“We look forward to continuing to provide an excellent level of service and advice for buyers, tenants and landlords in and around Nuneaton and Bedworth.”

Roy Hawkins, founder and senior partner at Hawkins, commented: “I started the business from my dining room table 32 years ago and I’m proud of all we have achieved.

“It’s with mixed emotions that I hand over to Mike and his excellent team at Sheldon Bosley Knight as I’ve seen the business grow from nothing. However, I feel the time is now right to take a step back.

“When thinking about the transfer of the business, I knew I wanted a safe pair of hands – for the clients and my staff. We treat our staff like family so it was very important for it to be the right fit.

“Sheldon Bosley Knight is exactly that. It has a great track record, it’s forward thinking, we talk the same language and during negotiations it just felt right. I am confident the business will be in safe hands.”